The study of fingerprints

for identification purposes

is known as dactylography
or dactyloscopy.
Your fingers, toes, feet, palms, and lips are covered with
small ridges that are raised portions of the skin, arranged in
connected units called dermal, or friction, ridges.

Ridges help us grip objects.

A ridge
appears dark
on a fingerprint
image; a valley
appears light.
 Fingerprints begin forming near
the 10th week of pregnancy, when
the fetus is about 3 inches long.

Skin consists of 3 layers:

• Inner layer- dermis
• Outer layer- epidermis
• Basal layer in between

In a fetus, the basal layer cells

grow faster than the layers above
and below it so it collapses and
folds to form intricate shapes.
Fingerprint residue originates from glands in the subcutaneous skin.
Apocrine and eccrine glands are commonly referred to as sweat glands.

• Apocrine glands are associated with hair follicles.

• Eccrine glands are primarily located on the ridges of the
hands and feet.
 Two things a forensic examiner looks for on a
fingerprint are the presence of a core and deltas.

i. The core is the center of a loop or whorl.

ii.A triangular region located near a loop is
called a delta.
Arch Loop Whorl

Appearance

% of population
5% 65 % 30 %
 Types of Arches
 Plain arch- Ridges
enter on one side and
exit on the other side.
 Tented arch- has a
spike in the center

Types of Loops
These patterns are named
for their positions related to
the radius and ulna bones:
 Radial Loop (Right
Thumb)-Loop opens
toward the left or the
radial bone.
 Ulnar loop (Right
Thumb)- Loop opens NOTE: On the left hand, a loop
toward right or the ulna that opens to the left would be an
bone ulnar loop, while one that opens
to the right would be a radial loop.
 Types of Whorls
Draw a line between the
two deltas in the plain and
central pocket whorls. If
some of the curved ridges
touch the line, it is a plain
whorl. If none of the center
core touches the line, it is a
central pocket whorl.
 Plain whorl
 Central pocket whorl
 Double loop whorl-
made up of any two
loops combined into one
print
 Accidental whorl- does
not clearly fall under any
of the other categories
Left Hand Right Hand

Right Hand

Right Hand Left Hand

a. While looking at the basic fingerprint patterns can quickly help eliminate a
suspect, in order to positively match a print found at a crime scene to an
individual, more information is needed.
b. Every individual, including identical twins, has a unique fingerprint
resulting from unique ridge patterns called minutiae (called this because
the details are so minute or small).
c. Minutiae are points where print ridges come together or end; they are
considered to be the “uniqueness” of an individual.
d. FBI has found that no two individuals have more than 8 common minutiae.

Many fingerprint experts use

this “twelve-match guideline”.
When a fingerprint expert
takes the witness stand and
says he’s absolutely certain
two fingerprints match, he
means he’s found at least
twelve or more matching
minutiae.
To take a ridge count, an
imaginary line is drawn
from the center of the
core to the edge of the
delta and intersecting
ridges are counted.

 What is the ridge

count for this
fingerprint?
8
i. Patent fingerprints, or visible prints, are
left on a smooth surface when blood,
ink, paint, grease, or some other liquid
comes in contact with the hands and is
then transferred to that surface.

ii.Plastic fingerprints are actual

indentations left in some soft material
such as clay, putty, or wax.

iii.Latent fingerprints are caused by the

transfer of oils and other body
secretions onto a surface.
1.Latent fingerprints are not visible to the
naked eye but can be made visible by
using chemicals.
2.To dust for fingerprints, dust surfaces with
a fine carbon powder to make a
fingerprint more visible. Tape can then be
used to lift and preserve the fingerprint.

Metal or magnetic
powders can also
be used to lift
fingerprints.
 Fingerprint Chemical Appearance
Chemical Application
Surface Reaction of Print
Object dipped
Reacts with
or sprayed in Purple-blue
Ninhydrin Paper
Ninhydrin;
amino acids
print
found in sweat
Wait 24 hours

Ninhydrin is a chemical that bonds with

the amino acids in fingerprints and will
produce a blue or purple color. It is used to
lift prints from surfaces such as paper and
cardboard.
 Fingerprint Chemical Appearance
Chemical Application
Surface Reaction of Print

Household items:
Cyanoacrylate Heat sample in a Reacts with amino
plastic, metal, White print
Vapor vapor tent acids
glass, and skin

The cyanoacrylate fuming method

(often called the super glue method) is a
procedure that is used to develop latent
fingerprints on a variety of objects.
 Fingerprint Chemical Appearance
Chemical Application
Surface Reaction of Print
Chloride from salt
Object dipped Black or red-
Silver Wood, in sweat on the
or sprayed in print combines with brown print
Nitrate Styrofoam silver nitrate to
Silver Nitrate under UV light
form silver chloride

Silver nitrate reacts to the salt deposits in

sweat. Processing with silver nitrate is a two
step process. First spray a layer of silver nitrate
on the object or dip the object in a solution.
Once this is done the object should be exposed
to a carbon vapor light or sunlight. Once the
prints have developed they should be
photographed and promptly removed from the
light source.
 Fingerprint Chemical Appearance
Chemical Application
Surface Reaction of Print

Iodine Paper, Cardboard,

In a vapor tent, Iodine combines Brown print (fades
heat solid iodine with carbohydrates quickly) must be
Unpainted surfaces
Fuming crystals in latent print photographed

The iodine print will gradually fade away

if left in the open air. To preserve it, you
can spray it with a little hair spray.
The primary precaution in all cases is the
prevention of adding fingerprints to evidence,
or of destroying those already present.
i. Investigators should wear gloves at all times, and
avoid handling evidence as much as possible.

ii. Touch as little as possible, and then only in areas

least likely to contain identifiable latent prints,
such as rough surfaces.

iii.Although using a cloth to pick up exhibits

prevents leaving additional prints on the articles,
the cloth will frequently wipe off or smear any
prints originally present, unless great care is
taken.
a. A fingerprint is an individual
characteristic; no two people have
identical ridge patterns.
b. A fingerprint pattern remains
unchanged during a person’s lifetime.

• However, a print may change due to permanent scars or skin diseases.

Criminals have sought to alter their

fingerprints with chemicals,
surgery, and superficial destruction.
Most attempts at fingerprint
alteration have not been successful.
Fingerprints dissolved by acid will
grow back. Scars on fingers make
prints even more unique.
Beginning in the 1880s, Sir Francis
Galton and Sir E.R. Henry
developed the classification system
for fingerprints that is still in use
today in the United States and
Europe (Galton-Henry Method).
In 1999, the FBI developed the Integrated Automated Fingerprint
Identification System (AFIS), which provides digital, automated
fingerprint searches, latent searches, electronic storage of
fingerprint photo files, and the electronic exchange of fingerprints
and test results.
IAFIS isn't just used for criminal checks. It also collects
fingerprints for employment, licenses and social services
programs (such as homeless shelters). When all of these
uses are taken together, about one out of every six people
in this country has a fingerprint record on IAFIS.

New scanning technology and digital

systems of identifying patterns have
helped to increase the processing
time and clarity of fingerprints.
Fingerprints can now be scanned at
the rate of 500 to 1,000 dots per inch.
This provides an image that reveals
minute pore patterns on the
fingerprint ridges, allowing for even
better pattern matching
Technologies are currently being developed to use other
physical features to identify people as well, including eyes,
facial patterns, and the pattern of veins on the back of the
hand or creases on the palm.

U.S. Marines take the retinal scans

and fingerprints of Iraqi residents
for their required biometric cards.

Iris identification systems take only

about two seconds to scan the iris
and look for patterns. They're used
in some prisons and a few airports.

Irises have more than 200 different

unique identifying characteristics
(about six times more than
fingerprints) ranging from rings to
freckles.
Practice: Look at the Latent Print and Known Print
below. Are they a match? Explain.
While they do look similar and have 6 common minutiae, they do not meet
the twelve-match guideline. Therefore one cannot say with confidence that
they are from the same individual.